The Tigger Movie
|runtime = 77 minutes |country = United States |language = English |rating = G |budget = $30 million |gross = $96,159,800 |screenplay = Jun Falkenstein |based on = }}The Tigger Movie is a 2000 American animated musical comedy-drama film written and directed by Jun Falkenstein from a story by Eddie Guzelian & a part of the "Winnie the Pooh" series. It was the first feature-length theatrical Pooh film that was not a collection of previously released shorts and features original songs from the Sherman Brothers. Originally, the film was slated for a direct-to-video release until then–Disney CEO Michael Eisner heard the Sherman Brothers' score and decided to release the film in theaters worldwide. It is also the highest-grossing film in the Winnie the Pooh franchise. Plot Tigger searches through the Hundred Acre Wood for somebody to bounce with him, but all of his friends are too busy getting ready for the coming winter. While he searches for a playmate, Tigger accidentally destroys Eeyore's house with a boulder. He later wrecks the complex pulley system that Rabbit has rigged up to remove the boulder and sends his friends flying into a mud puddle. Rabbit is furious at Tigger for destroying his Rock Remover and the rest of Tigger's friends admit they're not quite as bouncy as he is because they aren't Tiggers. Tigger sadly wanders off on his own, wishing there was somebody else like him. Roo (who wants to play with Tigger) catches up to him and asks if Tigger has a Tigger family he could bounce with. Tigger is fascinated by the idea and the two go to visit Owl for advice on finding Tigger's family. Owl shows them portraits of his own family and mentions the concept of family trees. Tigger accidentally knocks the portraits over. When he quickly hangs them back up, all of owl's ancestors appear to be perched on a single tree. Tigger concludes that his family tree must be a real tree and he and Roo go searching for it. After searching the wood without turning up any giant, Tigger-striped trees, Tigger and Roo go back to Tigger's house to search for clues to his family's whereabouts. They find a heart-shaped locket that Tigger hopes will contain a picture of his family, but it is empty. Roo suggests that Tigger try writing a letter to his family, which Tigger does.During this scene, Tigger teaches Roo the awesome Whoop-de-Dooper-Loop-de-Looper-Alley-Ooper Bounce. When Tigger's letter gets no response, Roo gathers Tigger's friends together to write him a letter. Everyone contributes a bit of friendly advice and they sign it "your family." Tigger is overjoyed to receive the letter, but, "reading between the lines", misinterprets it and announces that his whole family is coming to visit him tomorrow. Tigger's friends don't have the heart to tell Tigger that the letter is from them, so they disguise themselves as Tiggers and attend his family reunion. Rabbit does not join in, but, rather, berates them for not getting ready for the approaching winter storm and slams off. Tigger is completely taken in by the costumes until Roo attempts Tigger's complex Whoop-de-Dooper-Loop-de-Looper-Alley-Ooper Bounce, crashes into the closet and knocks his mask off. Believing that his friends are mocking him, Tigger goes out in a fierce snowstorm to search for his family after a final "TTFE, Ta-ta forever!!" Tigger's friends form an expedition to find him and convince Rabbit to lead them. They find Tigger sitting in a large tree with patches of snow on the trunk that resemble stripes. Rabbit insists that Tigger come home, but Tigger refuses to leave his "family tree" until his Tigger family returns. They argue and Tigger's shouting causes an avalanche. Tigger bounces all of his friends to safety in the tree branches, but is swept away by the snow himself. Roo performs a perfect Whoop-de-Dooper-Loop-de-Looper-Alley-Ooper Bounce and rescues Tigger. When the avalanche subsides, Tigger realizes he has lost the letter from his family. All his friends each recite their parts of the letter from memory and Tigger finally sees that they are his real family. He throws a new family reunion party with presents for everyone including a beautiful new home for Eeyore. Roo receives the heart-shaped locket and Christopher Robin takes a picture of Roo, Tigger, and the rest of their family to go in it. Voice Cast *Jim Cummings as Tigger and Winnie-the-Pooh *Nikita Hopkins as Roo *John Fiedler as Piglet *Kath Soucie as Kanga *Ken Sansom as Rabbit *Peter Cullen as Eeyore *Andre Stojka as Owl *Michael Gough as Gopher *Tom Attenborough and Brady Bluhm as Christopher Robin *John Hurt as the narrator *Frank Welker as Bees and Frogs (Additional Voices) Songs #"The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers" – Tigger (replaced the Winnie the Pooh Theme Song) #"Someone Like Me" – Tigger and forest animals #"Whoop-de-Dooper Bounce" – Tigger and Roo #"Pooh's Lullabee" – Pooh #"Round My Family Tree" – Tigger #"How to Be a Tigger" – Roo, Gopher, Owl, Piglet, Eeyore, Pooh, Kanga and Rabbit #"Your Heart Will Lead You Home" – Kenny Loggins Production The film was produced by the Walt Disney Television Animation's (WDTVA) division, Disney MovieToons & animated by Walt Disney Animation (Japan). WDTVA's Executive in Charge of Production was Sharon Morrill Robinov. Additional animation was done by Tandem Films, Cornerstone Animation Inc., Studio Basara, Tama Production, Creative Capers Entertainment and Telecom Animation Film Co. Ltd. Background work was done by Studio Fuga and Studio Moonflower with titles/opticals by Buena Vista Imaging. SimEx Digital Studios produced the live action footage. Paul Winchell (who was the original voice of Tigger) was originally cast to voice Tigger for the film, which was then titled "Winnie the Pooh and the Family Tree." During Spring 1998, Winchell participated in a single recording session for the film. However, Disney found his voice too raspy & they dismissed him from the project. He was replaced by Jim Cummings, who was already voicing Winnie the Pooh for the film, and doing Tigger's voice on various Disney television shows and for Disney consumer products. Devastated by Winchell's dismissal, the Disney Imagineers hired him to perform the voice for the "Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" attraction at Walt Disney World which opened a year before The Tigger Movie's release; it was Winchell's final performance before his retirement from acting and his death in 2005. Release After a Hollywood red carpet premiere on February 6, 2000 at El Capitan Theatre, "The Tigger Movie" was released theatrically on February 11, 2000 and was on screens for 23 weeks. Box Office "The Tigger Movie" opened at #4 at the North American box office making $9.4 million in its opening weekend. It was a box office success, earning $45,554,533 in the United States alone while making $50,605,267 overseas and $96,159,800 worldwide. The film's budget is estimated at between $15 million and $30 million. Critical Reception "The Tigger Movie" received generally positive reviews from critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 62% of critics gave the film "fresh" reviews on 71 reviews with a 5.9 rating. The site's consensus states, "The Tigger Movie may lack the technological flash and underlying adult sophistication of other recent animated movies, but it's fun and charming." Then-fourth-grade student Mia Addiego (the daughter of Walter Addiego, a staff member for the San Francisco Examiner) wrote her review of the film in the Examiner and said, "I think this movie is perfect for kids my age, 9, or younger. Older kids would think it was a little too young for them. But grown-ups might enjoy watching it with their children." Peter Stack from the San Francisco Chronicle said "The Tigger Movie" stands as "Disney's lovely cartoon shrine to the classic characters." Stephen Holden of the The New York Times' review of the film: "Of course, "The Tigger Movie" is meant to be just innocent fun (bouncy, trouncy, flouncy fun, to be exact). But it isn't -- it's transparently cynical, and not as much fun as it should be. The songs, by the redoubtable team of Robert and Richard Sherman, seem to have been written over lunch at the Disney cafeteria. Not one is memorable, musically or lyrically, which may well be a blessing." Accolades The film was nominated for numerous awards in 2000 including the following: *Annie Award for "Outstanding Individual Achievement for Directing in an Animated Feature Production"; Jun Falkenstein for "Outstanding Individual Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature Production" *Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman (music and lyrics) for the song "Round My Family Tree" *"Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting by a Male Performer in an Animated Feature Production": Nikita Hopkins As the voice of "Roo". *Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards *The Sierra Award for "Best Family Film" *Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award. Trailer Category:2000 films Category:2000s adventure films Category:2000s comedy-drama films Category:2000s musical films Category:American animated films Category:Buddy films Category:Walt Disney Pictures films Category:DisneyToon Studios animated films Category:Films featuring anthropomorphic characters Category:Films with live action and animation Category:Sherman Brothers Category:Winnie-the-Pooh films Tigger Movie, The Category:Films based on television series Category:American children's fantasy films Category:2000 animated films Category:Kids & Family Category:Films Category:Sequels Category:2000s films Category:Films rated G Category:Musical films Category:Films without opening credits Category:Films with vocal and instrumental credit music Category:Films with narration